Find out how popular the last name Shiau is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Shiau.

Shiau, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Shiau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shiau in America

Shiau is the 54990th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shiau surname appeared 374 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Shiau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shiau to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Shiau

The surname SHIAU is of Chinese origin, tracing its roots back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in the regions of Fujian and Guangdong provinces. It is derived from the Chinese characters 蕭 (Xiao) and 蘇 (Su), which were often used interchangeably in the transcription of surnames during that era.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the SHIAU surname can be found in the genealogical records of the Shiau clan from Quanzhou, Fujian province, dating back to the late 16th century. These records document the family's ancestral lineage and provide insights into the origins of the name.

In the 17th century, a notable figure named SHIAU Zhongxian (1618-1683) gained prominence as a renowned scholar and writer during the Qing Dynasty. His literary works and philosophical treatises were widely celebrated and contributed to the recognition of the SHIAU name.

Another historical figure of note is SHIAU Baocai (1763-1825), a prominent scholar and government official who served in various influential positions during the Qing Dynasty. His contributions to the field of classical Chinese literature and his administrative reforms left a lasting impact on the era.

During the 19th century, the SHIAU surname gained further recognition with the rise of SHIAU Xian (1801-1861), a revered Buddhist monk and calligrapher. His artistic calligraphic works and teachings on Buddhist philosophy earned him a significant following and admiration across China.

In more recent times, SHIAU Chien-Shiung (1912-2016), a pioneering Chinese-American nuclear physicist, brought international acclaim to the SHIAU name. Her groundbreaking research on the nuclei of atoms and her contributions to the Manhattan Project solidified her legacy as a preeminent figure in the scientific community.

Throughout its long history, the SHIAU surname has been associated with various place names in China, such as Shiaoxing (蕭興), a county in Zhejiang province, and Shiaoshing (蕭勝), a town in Guangdong province. These place names are believed to have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shiau

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Shiau.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Shiau was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Shiau has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Shiau was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Shiau, please contact us.

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